Ice in the Moon
:This is the sequel to The Fallen, and the prequel to The Fallen, The Bravest. Read The Bravest first, then The Fallen, then this. Also, if you have read The Fallen and liked Nick or want to know more about him, read Nick's Secret. Disclaimer I had made Smokefoot, Lionclaw, and Mintfur (who may be mentioned) before NP and POT. Allegiances SkyClan Prologue: Realization of the Prophecy :Cloverfang's fur was being rustled by a strong gust of wind; she was chilled and there was no moon in the forest she was in. Apparently, she was dreaming, but still... :"Cloverfang." :Cloverfang looked up, surprised to find that anyone inhabited this dreaded place. But who it was, was what really shocked her. :Nick. :The cat she thought she loved, then killed. She killed him because he was a traitor, but something come over her, because she normally wouldn't do something that low. :"I..." Cloverfang could hardly speak. Nick looked the same, except dirt and dry blood streaked his once handsome pelt; his eyes hid something amusing yet evil. :"You want to kill me. I know you do. You may as well, but just know, our kits would be without a mother." Cloverfang bowed her head, ready for Nick to deliver a killing bite. :But when she looked up, she was surprised to see Nick smiling. :"Dear, I can't harm you. Well, I could, but I won't. And I notice you said kit''s''; only one is ours, you know that!" Nick leaped to his paws, and Cloverfang was surprised to see him switch moods so easily. :"Well, what difference does it make? I have no idea of knowing who's father is who!" Cloverfang snapped, her tail lashing. :Nick glared at her for a moment, then sat back down. "Sorry, Cloverfang. But, it really matters about who you get right as the father." :"What do you mean?" :Cloverfang didn't listen to his response; she saw Mintfur pad past, and a growl rose in her throat as she gave her a cold eye. The other was unseen by a shaggy bit of white fur, covering the other completely. :"Are you listening?" When Nick saw who she was looking at, Cloverfang's gaze snapped back to his. :"Why won't she say anything? Blame me for everything, like she did when she was alive?" :"Well, being dead does something to you," Nick mewed sarcastically. Cloverfang smiled. Same old Nick. :"As I was saying...it's hard to explain. Do you remember that prophecy?" :Cloverfang nodded. "There will be one Clover, who will hold more good or evil than any cat alive has ever seen." :"And who do you think it was about?" asked Nick, tilting his head to the right side. :"...Me...?" :"No. It's about something more than you. Something that SkyClan desperately needs right now." :Cloverfang looked up, shocked. Was he talking about their kits? Or both, maybe? :"I know what you're thinking, and no, it has nothing to do with Goldenstripes or his kin. Nothing at all. It's about my offspring...and yours, of course." Nick was scraping his claws on the dirt, getting bored, as though they were talking about the prey or the weather. :"It's--" Cloverfang didn't get to finish her sentence; Nick slapped his tail across her mouth. :"Shhh, Cloverfang! Only we can know. It's our secret, but your suspision is right. It's who you think it is." :Cloverfang's eyes widened. Oh, no...oh no! Chapter 1: Miss Independent Before any of you ask, I'm just going to name the titles after songs. This one is by Kelly Clarkson. :Moonkit stared, round-eyed, at the training bought. :The rogue cat versus the Clan-born cat. :Minnowpaw against Leopardpaw. :Moonkit had always known there was something about them that...just didn't seem right. Yes, Minnowpaw, along with her brother, Crowpaw, had been rogues, but now they were Clan cats through and through. Leopardpaw had never liked the other fiesty apprentice. :Mudspots and Tigersky had wanted her to come and watch, along with Icekit, her sister, because they were gonna be apprentices in another moon, along with Rockkit, Birdkit, and Featherkit, who were sleeping. This was a special privalige for the two kits, Tigersky said. Icekit said Mudspots told her not to tell the others. They hadn't planned to, anyways. :Moonkit didn't wanna stop watching the practice fight, but she snuck a sideways glance to Icekit. "Who do you think is the better fighter?" :"Leopardpaw, duh! She's, like, awesome!" Icekit did not take her gaze away from the fight; she started hopping excitedly on her paws when Leopardpaw dived under Minnowpaw's belly and batted it hard with her forepaws. :"Well, I'' think-" Moonkit was cut off when Minnowpaw skidded on her shoulder next to her; Moonkit leaped back, hissing, though she knew Minnowpaw wouldn't hurt her. :"Awesome, Leopardpaw!" squeaked Icekit. Moonkit pouted. She obviously didn't realize how frustrated Minnowpaw was getting. :"Nice, Leopardpaw!" Smokefoot, the Clan deputy, had also come to watch. His eyes shone with pride, but why? It wasn't like she was his kin or anything. :Minnowpaw squinted her eyes, annoyed. "It's just so confusing! I know I could do it if I had a less expirienced opponent..." :"Like Frostpool?" Tigersky finished for her, stepping forward. :Smokefoot gazed at a leaf for a moment, thinking. Then, he mewed, "No. You've practiced for a long time. Leopardpaw, it'll be time for your assessment soon. Not that you didn't do good, for a newcomer, Minnowpaw." he added quickly. Minnowpaw really hadn't done that bad; at least Smokefoot wasn't lying to look good to the former SkyClan deputy, Blackheart. No one told her why he had to be fired, or why Frostpool had. ''What are we, stupid? We have a right to know what's what around here! :"Hey, Leopardpaw," said Smokefoot smoothly, gliding up beside the white-and-black apprentice. "You did well. I loved the belly attack; it was so brilliant!" :Moonkit wrinkled her nose like she had just licked the thunderpath. Why did the older cats have to say such long words? They didn't sound right on the kit's tongues. :"Thanks," Leopardpaw replied gruffly. Smokefoot pouted. He didn't seem too pleased. :"Don't you wanna eat with me and the senior warriors later, Leopardpaw? It would be an honor to get to share a meal with cats like Blackheart, Stormclaw, Lionclaw, Redear, Birdsong..." :Moonkit was annoyed. Why hadn't Smokefoot mentioned Goldenstripes? She stiffled a little growl. :"I would like to, Smokefoot, but I'm going to eat with Frostpool, Minnowpaw, and Crowpaw." Leopardpaw just sniffed. Smokefoot stopped walking along her side. He looked really embarrased, because Tigersky, Minnowpaw, and Mudspots had been watching him. He slunk away, sadly. :Moonkit padded up to Leopardpaw, flicking a burr of her paw. "Do you like anyone?" asked the little kit. :"Well, that's easy. I like a lot of cats. Minnowpaw and Crowpaw, for example. And mama and daddy." Leopardpaw just carried on as if Moonkit had mentioned a Gathering and a list of cats that went there. Moonkit just sniffed, again; if Leopardpaw liked Minnowpaw, she was a mouse. :"I mean do you like like anyone? Like...love?" Moonkit asked, adding more detail this time. :For a second, Leopardpaw just stood there, shocked. Then she replied angrily, "I don't love anyone! I'll never get a mate!" Before Moonkit could respond, Leopardpaw ran off. At the top of the cove of the Training Hollow, she called back, "I do not love Smokefoot, or...or anyone! I'll never fall in love!" she kept raving on, repeating things Moonkit couldn't dare say. :Icekit bounded over to her, raising her eye (like a person would raise an eyebrow). "What did you do to ruffle her pelt?" :Moonkit didn't reply. She had seen a practice fight, she had learned how Clan cats acted towards outsiders, but she had not seen the truth between Leopardpaw and Smokefoot. Of course, there wasn't really anything there, was there? Chapter 2: I'm Sorry :Icekit was padding out of the Training Hollow. She wanted to be a warrior, just like Smokefoot! She knew he hadn't been deputy long, but he was her role model. He rocked her world. :All of a sudden, a tuft of fur got caught in Icekit's mouth. She opened her eyes to see a light gray leg with darker stripes in her face. She leaped back, spitting. :"I'm going to get a furball because of your leg!" She screeched to the cat above her. She didn't recognize him, but he smelled like SkyClan. :"Oh, I'm so sorry, little kit! I hadn't seen you there." He spoke in a quiet but loud way. It was hard to explain. His voice was so calm and quiet, but every cat around him heard. He had blue eyes. They had darker blue pools in them; they were very handsome. :"I-it's okay, I guess," muttered Icekit. "I mean, I should've been paying attention, huh?" :"Yeah." He squinted his eyes, trying to make out Icekit. "Say, aren't you the daughter of Cloverfang? A brave warrior, she is. Not deputy-worthy, but still good all the more." :Icekit was confused. Why couldn't older warriors talk normally?!? :The tom noticed, then laughed. "She's still a good warrior, but not worthy to be a deputy. She had one apprentice, who left the Clans, then Leopardpaw was her apprentice...until she got pregnant with you, of course." :Icekit's eyes widened. Mother had been Leopardpaw's mentor? Cool! :"You know, her first apprentice was the father of Minnowpaw and Crowpaw. Did you know that?" :Now Icekit was really surprised. Awesome! :"By the way, I'm Stormclaw, son of Hawkstar and brother of Smokefoot. Are you Icekit or Moonkit?" :She leaped to her paws. "I'm Icekit!" Remembering her manners, she sat back down. "I'm pleased to meet you, Stormclaw. I haven't really heard that much about you, but I can already tell you're nice." :Stormclaw laughed again. "Pleased to meet you, too. I see Cloverfang hasn't mentioned me much." he sighed. "I'm not exactly the Clan's big hero." :"Well, that's okay. You're still cool." :"Cool? Really?" Stormclaw perked up. Apparently, others didn't compliment him much. :"Yeah. Just speak like a kit, and you're good." :"A kit?!?! Dear, I can't do that. But I can take you to see Crystalheart!" :Icekit was unsure. Why the heck would she wanna see Crystalheart? She chased her out of her den a few days ago. :"To get something for furball's," he added quickly, "they're not that comfortable." :"No thanks. I don't really care if I get a furball or not." mewed Icekit, swiping her paw over her ear. :Stormclaw's eyes shone with worry. "Ok, if you're sure..." he padded back towards camp, leaving a trail of paw prints behind. :Moonkit sneaked up behind Icekit. "You like him!" Icekit turned around, expecting to see Minnowpaw or Mudspots, but it was just her sister. :"What do you mean?!?" asked Icekit. :"Sissy likes a warrior! Sissy likes a warrior!" Moonkit said, prancing in a circle around Icekit. :"Do not!" :"Do too!" :"Do not!" :"Do too!" :"Do too!" :"Do not...wait, what did you just do?" :Icekit fell over from laughing so hard. Her little claws scraping the grass, Moonkit leaped on her, her tiny claws barely pricking the skin. :"Grr" Moonkit growled, batting Icekit's belly. :"Oh no, you don't!" snarled Icekit, locking her hind paws into Moonkit's belly and flipping her over. :"Ouchieeeeee!" yowled Moonkit, her leg slightly bleeding. Icekit gasped. She rushed over, immediately licking her sister's wounds. :"That's not fair, Tigersky! Kits can fight better than me!" Minnowpaw was walking past, along with Tigersky, her mentor. :"What are you talking about, Minn - oh!" Tigersky rushed over, too, picking up Moonkit by the scruff. He must be taking her to see Crystalheart, Icekit thought. :Minnowpaw's eyes were shining. "How did you do that move so well? You have to lock your feet in exactly in the right spot...which is very hard to do. Then you have to flip your opponent over with all your strength! That was great, Icekit!" :Icekit shrugged. "I guess I was just lucky or something..." Chapter 3: What Hurts the Most :This song is by Cascada and Rascal Flatts. Cascada just covered it. :"She was doing soooooo cool-like, Leopardpaw! You totally should've seen." :Moonkit looked up, shame prickling her pelt. Icekit had pushed her over so easily, it seemed unreal. How could she be a warrior if her sister was already beating her up?!? :"Ow! Crystalheart..." Moonkit growled, clenching her teeth. Crystalheart had just squeezed a poultice onto her swollen leg, and it really stung!! :"Oh, hush up, you're acting like a kit!" Crystalheart hissed, patting on more of the stuff. :"Hey, I'm not a-- oh wait, I am..." Moonkit said, embarrassed still. :Moonkit squinted as Crystalheart kept doing the procedure. Suddenly, Leopardpaw came in. :"So, Moonkit, what would you say about Icekit's fighting skills?" She asked sullenly. :"Oh yes, do tell!" Squealed Minnowpaw, leaping in behind the larger cat. Crowpaw and Frostpool followed her. :Moonkit swallowed. "Uh...she's okay, I guess..." :"Okay?!? O''kay''?!? She totally ruled! How is she...oh, I'm sorry, Moonkit..." :Moonkit must have been pouting, and she knew she was looking at the ground. "She can fight, I think...say, Frostpool, what did you like about being a medicine cat?" :Frostpool just stared at her for a moment. "Uh...I got to help cats and stuff...like, save their life..." :"Frostpool!" snapped Crystalheart, "there's more to the life of a medicine cat than that! Even you know that. Now, Moonkit, you must learn every herb, and use your skills to fight for your Clan in your own way...in the way of battling disease. If you do happen to become one, well, you may never get a mate or have kits." :"Oh, my! Why?" mewed Moonkit. What was so bad about having kits? :"It's complicated." Crystalheart pouted. "I can tell you when you're at least an apprentice." :"Why doesn't anyone ever tell me anything?!?" Moonkit complained. They were doing it again! :Crystalheart sighed. "We don't never tell you anything, we just don't tell you anything now." :Moonkit scowled. How mean! :She turned her head when she saw Icekit again, and suddenly felt a rage of jealousy. There she was, her pelt so clean, her claws so sharp and long...why can't I be like that??? :"Are you okay, sister?" Icekit said, so perfectly. Everything about her was perfect! She was probably just putting on an act for the older cats... :"Fine." Moonkit said solemnly. "I'm just fine. Why should you care?" She dropped her voice to a whisper. "You can fight!" :Icekit just looked at her startled. "I...you're my sister! Why wouldn't I care?" :Before Moonkit could reply, Cloverfang ran in. :"Oh, Icekit! I heard about how well you flipped Moonkit!" :Moonkit's whole world was crashing around her now. Even her own mother! :"They don't know how badly this hurts," she whispered. "this hurts the most than my scar..." Chapter 4: Flawed Design This song is by Skalibo...or something like that. Also, I put Moonkit's last line weirdly on purpose! It's supposed to be like that. :"This is an outrage!" :Icekit turned her head swiftly away from her sister. What she said stung like a bee! How could she be so cold? :"This is an outrage!" Redear repeated. Shutup! Just shutup. :Icekit saw her mother sigh. "What do you think is an outrage now, Redear?" :Redear snapped, "I don't think this is an outrage, I know! I know it is! And guess who's back, with backup this time?" :Cloverfang's eyes were widening. "Not them...with BloodClan?" :Reder nodded. :Goldenstripes padded up. "LavaClan..." he growled. He shot a look at Cloverfang, and whispered, "Nick..." :Who the heck was the dumb Nick Icekit kept hearing about? :"Hawkstar!" Crystalheart yowled. "It seems we have a problem..." :Icekit looked up to see the majestic blue she-cat strut out of her den. Even though she was sometimes weird, she was magnificent! Icekit wanted to be just like her...except for the weird part. :The pretty she-cat said calmly, "Let me guess; LavaClan is back, with BloodClan, Cinderfire is alive, along with a bigger and badder deputy than Nick?" :The cats around gaped their mouths. For the most part, she was probably right! :"Yes, I am a good guesser, Redear. Now, we must deal with this immediately and calmly. We should try to cooperate; it will be the only way out of this me--" :"How do you know?" challenged Dustfur, sticking his nose in where he shouldn't. :"I know. I'm cool like that, in case you hadn't noticed. Anyways, I need Redear, Birdsong, Tigerksy, Goldenstripes, Leopardpaw, Dustfur, Minnowpaw, Hazel-eyes, Lionclaw, and...Smokefoot." :"Is it quite safe to leave the camp this vunerable? And to take apprentices along, too?" Birdsong piped up. :Hawkstar snorted. "One, so long we have Crystalheart here, we'll be fine, and two, it's not like we'll be taking all the apprentices." :Birdsong nodded understandingly, though she clearly didn't get it. :"We shall leave immediately." When no cat moved, Hawkstar yowled, "Immediately means NOW!" Then, cats started scurrying along, outside camp. :"Mother, why don't you go?" Icekit asked Cloverfang. :"Why, I need to stay here with you all! I can't leave Lizardcloud and Honeypelt alone, can I?" :Moonkit looked up. "Isn't BloodClan, like, a big threat? Wouldn't it have been wise to at least have kept Lionclaw here? He's a important cat, huh?" :How unfair! Icekit's favorite relative was a tie between Cloverfang and Lionclaw! And she knew Moonkit knew that. :"We're okay, dear. We've got me, Lizardcloud, Honeypelt, Mudspots, Blackheart, Crystalheart - who, trust me, we're lucky to have in this Clan - Whitethorn, who I doubt can fight, Crowpaw, Frostpool, and Stormclaw! Though, if you want to be of help, go into the nursery until a few cats get back...I mean it. Icekit, help your sister." :When Icekit tried to obey, Moonkit recoiled. "I'm fine!" :"I was only trying to help!" Icekit replied hotly. :"I don't need your help! I can do it myself," Moonkit grunted. When her leg lurched, Icekit tried to leap for her, but Stormclaw beat her there. :"Dear, dear! You're okay, aren't you? Get on my back, alright?" Stormclaw said it so kindly... :Icekit felt rather jealous. Her tiny heart was beating very quickly. :"Oh, Icekit, be a darling and ask Blackheart to guard the nursery before you actually go in. I would also feel safer if Whitethorn was in there, too. StarClan bless her..." :"Mmm'k, mum." Icekit said quietly. :She bounded across the clearing to the quiet tom. "Yo, Blackheart!" She said. "Mother wants to know if you can--" :"Shutup," he growled, "no one says 'yo' anymore. It's LavaClan slang." :"Umm...okay?" Icekit said puzzeledly. "Anyways, Cloverfang wants to know if you can guard the nursery." :"Oh, she wants to know? Why doesn't she ever need to know? Why can't anyone ever need anything? Why does my opinion matter?" :"I don't know!" Icekit caturwauled, getting fed up. "I need you to guard the nursery, okay!?! I need you! And no one cares about your stupid opinion!" :Blackheart smiled. "That's what I expect to hear from a leader. You'd be good, I can tell. I see more than your mother or father in you...I see someone I've met before, maybe even been friends with, but they're gone now..." Blackheart's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh...I know. Go to the nursery." :Icekit turned, but then said, "Also, make Whitethorn come into the nursery. I'd be far safer for her, but'd also be much less of a worry." :Blackheart's smile got even broader. "How interesting you'd be. I just see a small flaw in your design...not in your design, but in your heritage. I need to tell you. You must know the truth, or at least what I expect the truth to be." Chapter 5: Dreams of an Absolution I don't know who this song is by, but it's in a Sonic the Hedgehog video game. :"I believe, Icekit, that your father is not Goldenstripes, but instead, a killer. A murderer who tried to kill your adoptive father. Your mother, too. But she got revenge and destroyed him." :Icekit stared at the older tom for a moment. Was he lying? Probably not, for what reason would he lie to a kit? :"What about Moonkit?" Icekit whimpered, "is she still my sister?" :Blackheart sighed. "For the most part, yes. But she is your half-sister, not your full sister." :The she-kit considered this. "What is the name of my real father, then?" :"Darling kit, if you knew, you would never be the same." :Icekit felt infuriated again. "I'm not the same! I wish you had never told me!" :But when the kit turned to run, she saw... :None other than... :Cloverfang. :"Blackheart! What nonsense are you telling my kit?!?" she snapped angrily. :"Yeah!" Moonkit piped up, balancing on her good leg. :Blackheart only blinked. "The truth. Isn't it that she needs to know?" :"Kn-know what?" asked Cloverfang nervously. "There is nothing she needs to know from you." With that, Cloverfang turned, picking up Moonkit. :Once they were safe and sound inside the nursery, with Lizardcloud and Honeypelt asleep, plus her kits, Cloverfang talked to her own children. :"Don't believe that fox-heart," Cloverfang growled, "he's lost his sanity since he got fired, along with Frostpool." :"But he was telling the truth, wasn't he, mother?" Icekit asked. "I know he was." :"Of course not! Your father is Goldenstripes, and he is your only father. The cats here can never change that, no matter how much they want to. Icekit, if you don't believe me, ask Goldenstripes himself, and he will tell you. He will tell you as sure as the sun shines." :Well, the sun wasn't shining at the moment. :"Yeah, if he ever says something stupid like that again, just remember, you've still got us!" yowled Featherkit, who had just apparently woken up from her nap. :Cloverfang sighed. "Featherkit, go back to sleep. Also, I don't want you repeating this conversation to anyone, okay?" :Featherkit yawned, then nodded. :"Anyways, you're all going to be apprentices soon, and there will be more apprentices ever, plus Lizardcloud will still have her kit...or kit''s''. We all need you to be strong, and not worry about what an insane warrior says, got it?" :Icekit sniffed. "But, mother," she whined, "Goldenstripes doesn't have blue eyes, nor do you. And my pelt isn't the same as Goldenstripe's, even though it's close. Why?" :Cloverfang hesitated. "My mother, Nightflower, had blue eyes, I believe. And Goldenstripes mother, Yellowtail, looks a great deal like you, if I remember correctly." :"Ha ha! Sissy looks like old cats! Ha ha!" Moonkit said cheerily. :"I DO NOT!" Icekit yowled. She was prepared to leap on her rude sister, but had a comeback ready. "You have blue eyes too!" :"But I have white fur, and mama has white fur! You don't! Ha!" :Icekit felt tears sting her eyes. She fled the nursery, running and never stopping. There! The camp entrance! Sure, I might have to climb down it, but... :Before she could change her mind, Icekit jumped onto a rock. Her paws skidded, but she held on. Another, steeper one was just below her, edged with wet moss. If she leaped onto it, she'd have trouble getting back up. Oh, well... :Deciding to risk it, she leaped again, her claws holding onto the mold. It wasn't that hard! Only about seven more... :After Icekit made it down safely, she saw two paths. One went to the left, and she could smell the patrol in that direction. Oh, no, I can't go there! They'd take me back. :On the right side, it was much darker, and a kit only could get through the brambles. If they wanted her back, they'd have to send Moonkit after her! Icekit could tell it was unexplored, probably never even noticed. It was shadowed by a thick canopy of trees. She looked back up at the camp. There was her mother, on the top second rock. She was having trouble! :Icekit dashed through the bramble path without a second thought. :"That's right..." :Did someone just say something? :"Keep going, my dearest, and you will be with friends." :What the...? Icekit just decided to ignore it. It was getting annoying, anyways. :"Ouch!!!" Icekit yowled suddenly. A thorn was embedded in her flank, and another between her shoulders. :Icekit heard a twig snap. What was that? She didn't move, hardly even breath. :She smelled cats, but not SkyClan. Great! I had food, shelter, and now I'm probably going to die! :"Why do I smell a kit?" a old cat's voice asked. :Yep, there were other cats! Right in front of her, too! But how'd they get through the brambles? She would've noticed if they'd been trampled. :Suddenly, a gray she-cat with amber eyes was standing right in front of her. :The cat's eyes widened. "Oh, my...Deathrose, tell me, does this look like my brother when he was younger?" :Deathrose...that doesn't sound like a friendly name. :An old she-cat with yellow eyes creaked forward. "Hmmn...who's your brother, 'gain?" :"Nick! Former deputy of LavaClan! Who else??" (A/N: Yes, Cinderfire and Nick were brother and sister. It was revealed in Nick's Secret.) :"Oh...quite. Could be his reincarnation. Kit, what's a-your gender?" :Didn't mother say never to talk to strangers? :"Don't fear them...they can help you." :The voice! She may as well listen to it, seeing she was going to die anyway. :"She-cat." she squeaked. :The cat called Deathrose cackled. "More like she-rat. It barely has any fur!" :"Ah...same old Deathrose. She's testing you. Don't be afraid to be brave with her. With the other, watch out." :"I am not a rat! I am Icekit. I come from a mixed family. I know who my mother is, but I'm not sure who my father is." :The gray cat laughed. "She doesn't know who her father is, see? This is a possibility..." :"Some cat said my father was a killer." :The gray she-cat's eyes widened again. "It is...we know who your father is. Would you like to see him?" :Icekit nodded. She just wanted to see this killer and have a talk with him! :The gray cat with amber eyes led her along for quite a long time. Finally, they stopped at a little ledge next to a clearing. :"Go down there, and look under those rocks. Tell me what you see." :Icekit obeyed. She scrambled down the steep ledge, following a dry trail of blood. It was mostly covered by dirt, but... :Right there! She smelled her mother's scent! :"I smell my mother!" she yowled up to the she-cats'. :They just exchanged glances. "Keep going," the older cat instructed. :Icekit kept her nose to the ground, seeing what else she could smell. She was closer to the rocks now, and she could smell a lot of dust and blood... :A tail? There was a tail right in front of her face. A tail that looked just like hers! :"Unbury 'em!" the old cat howled. :Icekit nodded, her paws digging at an area just below the tail. A few rocks fell down, and she leaped back, hissing. :"It's okay!" The younger cat insisted. "We won't let anything happen to you." :Icekit undug the body. Oh, StarClan! :There was a larger version of her right in front of her eyes! :"That's your father," the young cat called. :Her true father was... :Dead? :How unfair! :But wait, didn't Blackheart say Cloverfang had destroyed him? So that's what he meant! :Another shock hit her. Mother is the true murderer here... Chapter 6: Gone This is yet another Kelly Clarkson song! I like her, okay? (xD) :Moonkit growled. Why does Icekit have to steal all that darn attention? Aren't I cared about? :"You will not think about my daughter that way." :Moonkit froze. What the heck was that? :"You understand, I am sure. Don't you?" :Moonkit swallowed and nodded. Was Goldenstripes using telepathy? Was he psychic? But wait, didn't Blackheart say that Icekit had a different father or something? :"Good. Your mother is clever, but you have your smarts, too. Take care of Icekit when she returns to you. Will you do that?" :"Y-yes." Moonkit replied shakily. This was weird, but she didn't want to anger the father of Icekit! :"Ah. You're as brilliant as I thought you were. Tell your mother not to worry for the time, for your sister is in good paws." :"Yes, sir." :Moonkit listened, but there was no sound but the soft snores of Lizardcloud, Honeypelt, Featherkit and Birdkit. Rockkit scrambled up to her, which was really the last thing she wanted at the moment. :"Does Icekit no longer love us, cousin?" Rockkit asked. He was slightly older than her, but acted like a newborn kit sometimes! Well, at least he sounded older, which was probably a good thing. :"Of course she does, you dirty tom!" Moonkit hissed, outraged. Wow, she normally wouldn't jump to her sister's defense. Maybe the talk with that voice made her care about her. :Rockkit's eyes widened. "Oh...sorry." :Moonkit sighed. "No, I'm sorry, Rockkit. Really." :Rockkit nodded slowly. "S'fine." :"Huh." The 'huh' Moonkit said wasn't a questioning 'huh', but a understanding 'huh'. :The two were quiet for a moment. "Moonkit, cousin, where do you suppose Icekit went?" :"I just don't know, Rockkit. But what I do know is that she's in good paws." :Rockkit stepped back a paw. "And you know this...how?" :"I just do, cousin," Moonkit replied solemnly. :Rockkit shrugged, then went back to sleep with his littermates. :StarClan, is he always so questioning and dimwitted? :Moonkit leaped back with a start when Blackheart stiffened and hissed. In front of him was a large golden she-cat with gold-yellow eyes. She was eerie. :"Halo! Have you replaced Nick? Ha! I didn't LavaClan were that mouse-brained!" :Ah. That was the deputy Hawkstar noted. :"Blackdung, I heard you got replaced by a youngster? I didn't think SkyClan were that jank!" :With a yowl, Blackheart leaped onto Halo, ripping her fur with is teeth. What the...? Lizardcloud, Honeypelt, and the kits were still sleeping, with the exception of Rockkit! And Whitethorn was awake, which was a very bad thing, indeed. :"Lemme at those heaps of fox dung!" Whitethorn snarled. "Lemme at 'em!" :Honeypelt jumped awake, along with Lizardcloud. Her kits were still asleep. :"Good StarClan! LavaClan invasion!" Honeypelt screeched, wrapping her tail around her two daughters, and beckoning for her son to come near the back of the nursery. Lizardcloud jumped forward to block Whitethorn. :"My StarClan, if you go out there, you'll get ripped to pieces!" Growled Lizardcloud, rolling her eyes. :Whitethorn stood her ground. "I am a warrior! I was born and bred to serve my Clan 'til death, and I plan to do just that!" The once-gentle elder tried to shoulder past Lizardcloud, but the young queen wouldn't budge. :"You will let me through!" Demanded Whitethorn. :"Over my dead body!" :"Then die!" Whitethorn tried again to go past Lizardcloud, but Moonkit bit the old cat's paw. :"YEECH!" Whitethorn yowled. :"Just stay, Whitethorn, please! What if they should come in here? Do you think that a nursing queen, a pregnant she-cat, and four kits are a good defensive force?" Moonkit tried to talk some sense into Whitethorn. :"I can't believe I'm getting told off by a kit," muttered Whitethorn, "But apparently, kits make good points. Now, get your lazy butt into the corner! Me and miss smart one here will take care of any intruders that should come near." :"Good gracious, no! Lizardcloud is pregnant! I will fight, and if I should die, Cloverfang or Lizardcloud can take care of my darlings." :"Heck, no! I'm supposed to have just one kit! It doesn't matter if I should die or not!" :"Dang StarClan, Lizardcloud, step back! I've lived my life! You deserve to live yours! And so do your kits!" :"Well, I never--" :"SHUTUP!!!" Moonkit caterwauled. "Why don't all three of you fight? It's not like we'll be out of the nursery!" :The three cats exchanged glances. :"Works for me." :"Ditto." :"I'm being told off by a kit again!" :The three older warriors stood in front of the opening of the nursery, and Honeypelt rushed out to help Blackheart. :Lizardcloud turned around. "I know for a fact that the other patrol will come near soon, and they will help us. You four just stay as far back in the corner as you can, but start digging a hole, should you have to escape quickly" :Birdkit and Rockkit began to dig immediately, while Moonkit tried to calm Featherkit. :"Gosh, Featherkit! Don't you know this is just a bunch of rogues with no life?" :"Rogues have not code!" exclaimed the frightened she-kit. :"So? They eat french fries from twoleg cans. I don't think they're that strong." :"Well, the cat called Halo looks like she eats more than french fries." :Moonkit sighed, knowing she couldn't argue with that. Chapter 7: Nobody's Fool This is an Avril Lavigne song! And is anybody wondering how Moonkit knows about french fries? o.0 :"Give Icekit back right now!" Hawkstar bristled. "She's not your kit!" :Cinderfire smirked. "So? She happens to be my niece. If she's quite so important to her mother, why isn't she here, and not you?" :Hawkstar hissed. "Guess what? Her mother is my foster sister, so she's basically my niece, too." She purposely ignored the last question. :"How about we lets the little young 'un decide for 'erself?" Deathrose huffed. :"Fine," Hawkstar growled. :Icekit froze. Suddenly, all eyes were on here, but that didn't mean much. Cats did care about her. They were arguing over her. How cool was that? :"Don't you want to come with your real auntie, my dear?" Cinderfire cooed. She let her eyes flicker over to Hawkstar in a how-do-you-like-that?-look. :"Come along with your uncle, sweetie! Don't you wanna be a warrior?" Lionclaw crept forward slowly, as if Icekit and the cats behind her were foxes. :"As if she'd come with you! I can tell you're only her adopted uncle. She probably wants to be with her true kin." :Icekit's stomach lurched. She suddenly felt a surge of cold, hard anger. :"Let me speak for myself!" She yowled. "I don't need a bunch of stuck-up oldies talking for me! And if you don't be quiet right now, I swear I will live the rest of my life as a rogue!" :Cinderfire took a pawstep back. Deathrose's eyes widened. And Minnowpaw looked like she had seen the most gruesome thing in the world right in front of her eyes. :"I don't know who I'll go with, okay?" Icekit seared. "I...let's see...I do want to be with my true kin, but I also want to become a warrior...become a leader...I want to fight, I want to hunt for my Clan and all the cats I care about, but I don't think I'm going to do that if I go with auntie and grandma." Cinderfire gasped and Hawkstar let out a sigh of relief. :"But, if I go with adoptive uncle and foster aunt, I'm just still going to be bossed around again and again to my wit's end, and the chance I become leader is one in a million. Plus, Crystalheart needs an apprentice even though she's not old and I know everyone wants me or Moonkit to be the medicine cat apprentice, but that's so not my future, okay?" She cast every cat in the clearing a triumphant look, then continued: "SkyClan, LavaClan, it's my life, and I know I won't ever be happy unless...I go with my adoptive kin." :Cinderfire flattened her ears against her head and had a wary look in her flaming eyes. "Are you sure, Icekit? You know if you with them we'll be enemies, and we won't be keen to change our minds." :Icekit looked Cinderfire straight in the eye and held her gaze. "Never sure-er. Even though there's more cons for SkyClan, I know I wouldn't be happy anywhere else. And if I do change my mind, you'll be the-- oh wait, you'd never know, auntie, cuz my mind ain't changin' today or tomorrow or ever!" :Cinderfire looked ninety percent dissed and ten percent like she wanted to kill everyone in the forest room except Deathrose. :"You mark my words, Icekit..." Cinderfire was a claw-length away from being face-to-face with the young she-kit. "When you're a danged leader or warrior or anything, we'll hunt you down and kill you. Then, you'll be lucky if we throw you into a twoleg fire." :"Kill me?" Icekit scoffed. "If you're so ready to kill me, why don't you do it now?" :Cinderfire and Icekit's gazes didn't stop staring at each other. When one cat unsheathed their claws, so did the other. When one growled, so did the other. It was a sort of game of mockery. :Leopardpaw slowly padded up to whisper in Icekit's ear. "Don't push your luck, kit. You obviously have a StarClan angel on your side." :Icekit ignored Leopardpaw and did the arguably most stupid thing in the world. :She leaped for Cinderfire's neck. :But not before she heard the words in her head, "Dang, what are you doing? Daughter, Icekit, ICEKIT! LISTEN TO ME! GO WITH CINDERFIRE! YOU'RE MAKING A BIG MISTAKE, LITTLE--''" :And that was when she jumped. '''Chapter 8: It's My Life' This song is by Gwen Stefani, I think. I check later. Also, Icekit may be OOC (out of character) for a while cuz I've been gone. :Icekit let out a yowl of pain when some cat ripped their claws across her back. Icekit had never felt anything like this pain before. It hurt horribly, and she began to feel nauseated. Oh, why did I ever jump at Cinderfire? Did...that voice influence me? Why did I DO THAT??? :Even though Icekit was still in pain, she ripped her own small - but sharp - claws across the attacker's nose, who was apparently Cinderfire. Blood sprayed across Icekits chest, making it stick to her pelt. It smelled like dead roses and dead cats, and....just plain old DEATH, if you know what I mean. :"Mrrr....WROWR!" Cinderfire screeched, mainly because Hawkstar had jumped on her back and was sinking her teeth into her neck. She lifted up her head to yell to Icekit... :"Icekit - run!" :"I can't leave you! I won't!" Icekit stamped her foot on the ground stubbornly. :"You will. Minnowp--" :But Minnowpaw had already scooped Icekit up, running down the hill the cats had been fighting on. She ran through some of RiverClan's territory just to get away. With Icekit still in her mouth, she turned to see if there were any pursurers, which there weren't, so she slowed down some. They were back in SkyClan territory now, safe... :They were just climbing up the rock entrance when Minnowpaw was knocked over, dropping Icekit, who was rolling back down the rocks. Icekit looked up, her vision blurry, to see a orange tom a little bigger than Minnowpaw grasping her (Minnowpaw's) scruff and dragging her away. :Anger seared through Icekit. "Get the fox dung away from her!" Yowling, she leaped on the attacker's leg, sinking her little claws and mini-teeth into him until she felt the bone. And tasted the blood. :"Dang kit, get off my leg!" He shook his leg until Icekit considered letting go. But she couldn't! Then he'd get away with Minnowpaw! :Suddenly, a golden she-cat appeared at the top of the camp entrance. Icekit did not recognize her. :"Foxpaw! Leave them alone! The ones we need are up here!" :Foxpaw growled through Minnowpaw's fur. "Halo, Bla--" :Just then, Blackheart jumped on Halo's back, sending him and her down the rocks. Thank StarClan he's here :Since Foxpaw was distracted, Minnowpaw leaped up, scratching and slapping at his chest like she would never get to fight again. Icekit resumed biting his bones. :"Arrgh! All right, all right, I'm leaving!" Slamming Icekit against a rock, and breaking free of Minnowpaw, he ran back to - presumably - wherever he came from. :"Wow, Icekit, he didn't seem to be very keen to fight us!" Minnowpaw bent down worriedly when Icekit didn't respond. :"I-I'm fine. Just help Blackheart," Icekit, very weakly, got to her feet. :"I don't need no help! Just get your tails up there and help defend the nursery!" Blackheart snarled, cuffing Halo's ear. Minnowpaw nodded, picking up Icekit again, and scurrying up the rocks. She almost fell twice, in her ordeal to get to the top. Finally, after climbing the last few, she was up there. She screamed at the sight, accidentally dropping Icekit. :A mass of cats were surrounding the rock-nursery, writhing, trying to find a crack they could break into or push past the wall of SkyClan cats blocking the entrance. Icekit could tell this had been going on for a while. :Cloverfang was pulling a blue she-cat off the very top of it. "Let go of me, brat!" The cat slammed her paw into Cloverfang's chest, blowing her backwards. Cloverfang didn't let up, though. She jumped on top of her, her claws sinking in the front of her face. Suddenly, there was a loud crack. The nursery was about to fall through! :"Coming through!" Blackheart and Crystalheart apparently yelled at the same time, out of coincidence. Blackheart had taken care of Halo, probably, and Crystalheart couldn't stand sitting on the sidelines. Crystalheart leaped, paw-fist, into the blue cat's chest, pushing her and Cloverfang off. Blackheart just jumped on the first cat he saw. :"A crack!" Some non-SkyClan cat yowled. Two or three jumped on it and tried to break it. "Stay here, Icekit. Hide or something!" Minnowpaw instructed the younger she-cat. With a sudden battle cry, she leaped into the fray. Icekit saw Halo scurry up the rocks. Okay, apparently she isn't dead. :"My StarClan, more are coming! MORE! Cinderfire said retreat!" Halo screeched. Most cats left a final mark on their enemies, and ran. Icekit leaped out of there way. She looked to see who it was. It was Hawkstar and her patrol! Thank StarClan! :The last few cats jumped down quickly, making sure to stay out of their way. Hawkstar looked triumphant. :After her patrol got up, the cats who fought fell to the ground, exhausted and winded. But Hawkstar didn't look the least bit tired. In fact, she looked ready for more. She's brilliant. She's such a cat! I wanna be just like her. :"Cinderfire thought she could destroy us from within. But she was wrong! We have defeated LavaClan - or, BloodClan - for the last time! Surely, she said to me, we had some weakness? And, Lionclaw, tell them what you said." :"I growled, 'Weakness my tail!', and I ripped her throat open. She screamed and ran away like a kit!" :A few cats cheered, but most stared, weary-eyed, even the ones who just had to fight Cinderfire and Deathrose. :"I think it's time we named someone warrior! Leopardpaw, may you step up?" Hawkstar said, while jumping on top of the Moon Rock. :"Why, Mudspots, do you think that Leopardpaw is ready?" :Mudspots dipped her head. "Of course. She's magnificent." :Hawkstar nodded. "Good. I, Hawkstar, leader of ThunderClan, ask my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and we ask that you make her a warrior in your turn." Looking out at the now star-filled sky, Hawkstar flicked her tail when a shining light quickly flew up. "Leopardpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?" :Leopardpaw's eyes filled with pride. "I do, of course." :Hawkstar smiled. "Then from now on, your name shall be Leopardheart. StarClan honor your nobility and fighting skills. Now, remember to keep a silent vigil tonight." :A chorus of 'congratulations' and 'awesomes' filled the camp. :Leopardheart looked happy. Icekit felt her strength at the moment, tired, but gleeful at the same time. :Icekit suddenly remembered her mother and sister. She'd seen Cloverfang go into the nursery just after Hawkstar returned. :Gleeful herself, Icekit sprang into the nursery. Crystalheart was in there also, standing over a limp Whitethorn. :"Hawkstar, she died of shock," Crystalheart said without turning around, thinking Icekit was Hawkstar. :"I'm not Hawkstar..." Icekit said, looking at her paws. :Crystalheart turned around slowly. "Oh," she meowed softly. "May you get her?" :Icekit's head spun. When Moonkit looked at her, she had malice in her eyes. Cloverfang didn't really see or smell her. And the greatest story-teller in all the Clans was dead. :What was up? Chapter 9: Change Yep, this song is by Taylor Swift. The chapter title is really just a hint-thing. But, I suggest you listen to the song (if you can) while reading this. :Moonkit's eyes snapped open when she heard a piercing scream. :"H-Honeypelt! Go get Crystalheart! The kits are coming!" Lizardcloud thrashed around in her nest wildly, like a rabbit with no head. Moonkit figured she could be heard for miles around. :Honeypelt barely got to her feet when Crystalheart raced in, many cats behind her but staying at the entrance, holding a pile of herbs in her mouth. :"Lizardcloud!" Crystalheart snapped. "Is it helping you any to writhe around like a mad cat? I presume it's not, so calm down, for the love of StarClan!" :Lizardcloud, for once, listened to and obeyed someone else. :"Mmm-kay, now, take about ten deep breaths and after that, start to push." :Lizardcloud gulped in the air like Hawkstar had just announced that SkyClan was running out of air. Moonkit did not hear her exhale once. :"OW!" Lizardcloud screeched when she began pushing. "Gimme something for pain, Crystalheart, p-please!" :Moonkit sideways-glanced at her sister, Icekit, who was smirking. This was obviously a way of getting revenge for everything Lizardcloud had said, in her eyes. :Crystalheart shook her head. "No. Pain is good, because it makes you want to get the kit out that much more." :"Duh," Icekit fake-sneezed. :Lionclaw suddenly marched in. Shoving past Moonkit, Icekit, and Cloverfang, of course, he took a peek at his first emerging kit, pleased. :"Hon, it's a incredibly light gold tabby with a white tail-tip. It's absolutely beautiful." He meowed to his mate. :Ignoring Lionclaw, with a final shove, the kit popped out, mewling like there was no tomorrow. Lionclaw padded up to it and licked it. :"Gentle, it was born early," Crystalheart growled. "Keep licking it and I'll check it's gender." :Crystalheart did so, paying heed of the now-sore Lizardcloud and still-licking Lionclaw, she checked. She immediately started purring, while shoving the kit up to Lizardcloud's belly so it could eat. :"Lizardcloud, you'd better be the heck proud. It's a she. What'll you name her?" :Lizardcloud let off a quick purr that sounded like a rumbling growl to Moonkit. "Diamondkit. Anyways, now can I get something for pain?" :Moonkit saw Lionclaw frown, obviously annoyed that his mate was caring more about pain than their first daughter. And probably about the fact he named her without consulting him for help. :Crystalheart's mouth twitched into a dreadful half-smile. "Ya heard her, Moonkit. Get something." :Moonkit raised a paw. "But--" :"But? Butt's are for scratching, Moonkit. Now get a borage leaf." Moonkit heard Icekit snicker. Fury took her over. :"You think you're so awesome, just 'cause you can give a few speeches and raise a claw, you fox-dung eating b--" :"Moonkit, hush!" Cloverfang snapped, suddenly speaking. :"No!" Moonkit retorted, silently swelling with pride because of the fact that she had stood up for herself. "All my life, I've been sitting on the sidelines, being told how Icekit's gonna be a great warrior, and I'm sick of it! Guess what?!? Icekit...I hate you!" :Shoving past her half-sister, Moonkit only got to the camp entrance when she somehow collapsed. It was like dying... :Moonkit looked up sullenly to see a white-furred she-cat ina forest with no stars. The only light was the moon...it was surrounded by ice...it looked ice was in it, too. :"Hello. I am Mintfur, and welcome to the Dark Forest...or Place of No Stars." :The name certainly fits, Moonkit thought. :"I saw that...scene, and I agree with you. Icekit is the kit of a monster, after all. It's only fair she should get some of his blood. But you...you are perfect. You're the daughter of a great warrior...Goldenstripes. Don't you think you should put your dear half-sister out of her misery?" She said the last sentence mockingly. :Suddenly, Moonkit felt all of her hate for Icekit well up inside her. Even though she tried to fight it, she couldn't. But...she didn't really want to...was that bad? :"Yes..." she snarled, making up her mind and leaning in. "Tell me more...Mintfur." :Mintfur's mouth curled into a devious smile. "Wonderful. This is the begining of a beautiful friendship, Moonkit. I can just tell." Chapter 10: Should've Said No (Yet another T-Swift song from her first album, Taylor Swift!!!!) :Moonkit glared up at Icekit. Stupid little piece of perfect fox dung... :"Mother, are we really becoming apprentices today?" Icekit asked so politely. She was such a softie. :"Yes, of course, Icekit, you and Moonkit will now train with the others. Dear StarClan, I hope that Hawkstar listened to my requests on mentors!" :"I'm so proud of you two," Goldenstripes cooed, ignoring his mate. :"You'll be fine warriors, just like me!" Lionclaw boasted. :"Of course they will, honey," Lizardcloud mewed flirtatiously. :Moonkit rolled her eyes. All her relatives were crowded in the nursery, taking up as much room as about a twoleg would. But of course, their eyes were all shining at Icekit. :"Aren't you going to groom them?" Honeypelt pondered, narrowing her bark-colored eyes. :"Oh, you just reminded me!" Cloverfang knelt down, licking Icekit from her head down. In return, Icekit shot Honeypelt a thanks a lot look. The older cats laughed at this obvious gesture. :"My Icekit, you make me laugh all the time," Lionclaw chuckled. :"Of course she does, she has my blood." Cloverfang snapped. Everyone laughed again, but a bit lighter. :From somewhere in the distance, Moonkit suddenly heard Hawkstar's call. "We gather here today..." :"Foxdung! Go, go, go!" Lionclaw scooted his nieces out of the nursery. Moonkit didn't even get a chance to be groomed. :Moonkit looked up to see all eyes on...mainly Icekit, of course. But, Crowpaw and Minnowpaw seemed to be looking at her....well, Minnowpaw, anyways. :Hawkstar went through the ceremony quicker than usual. Icekit became Icepaw, her mentor, Birdsong. Moonkit, now Moonpaw, got Lionclaw as her mentor. :"You two are to be taught how to fight immediately. I do not want any cats hurt in case LavaClan attacks again. I will not accept losing to those scrawny rogues. It is not an option. Does anyone fail to understand this?" Hawkstar's eyes scorched through every cat in the clearing. :"I suppose you do. It is a miracle from StarClan that Cinderfire did not convince Icepaw to go with her. Let us rejoice in this, please." Hawkstar dipped her head for barely a second, then raised it again. "It shows them that our warriors are not stupid, and we are certainly not cowards. This meeting is over." Hawkstar jumped quickly off of her post, weaving into her den. :"Well...you heard what the leader said! Let's get our tail-ends out there now!" Lionclaw jumped around Moonpaw enthusiastically. Like a apprentice, she thought. :"Why don't you go ahead and get some prey first, Icepaw? Then we can go and train somewhat." Moonpaw overheard Birdsong say. :Lionclaw apparently overheard, too. "Oh, don't mind her. Icepaw'll throw up as soon as she starts moving. Come on." :Lionclaw led Moonpaw through SkyClan's vast and beautiful territory. Moonpaw had no idea of what had lay beyond her den - it wasn't much, but it was something. And the sun was setting at the moment, shining against the nearby river and leaving a eerie glow across Moonpaw's white pelt. :"See, Moonpaw, the river obviously marks the end of our territory, and the beginning of RiverClan's." :"I see, Lionclaw." Moonpaw nodded, narrowing her eyes. :"Learn their scent, Moonpaw; just breathe in." :Moonpaw obeyed, sniffing in deeply. She was sorry she did. :"Yick! That's what they smell like? Really? I hope we don't smell like that! It smells like dung!" :Lionclaw chuckled. "It's fish. It's what they eat." :"Oh, my...! I would not like to eat that, whatever it is." :"It's really not that bad..." Lionclaw turned his head away, slowly, as if hiding something. :What's he got to keep from his niece? :"Come on, Moonpaw, let me show you how to fight." He led Moonpaw through a grassy way, then Moonpaw could tell they were definately not in their territory anymore. :"Where in StarClan's name are we?" Moonpaw asked, looking around in guilty wonder. :"We're in ThunderClan territory," Lionclaw stated calmly. :Moonpaw blinked. Wasn't that not allowed, or something? Weren't Clan cats supposed to stay in their own territory? :"In case you're wondering, Moonpaw, which I'm sure you are, the reason we're in a opposing Clan's territory is because ThunderClan is a great ally of our's, along with RiverClan. But ThunderClan is so trusting and kind that they let a rival Clan come and train in their hollow; which is extremely foolish, if you ask me! We could hunt here and they wouldn't care a bit." Lionclaw finished the last word with a nose-flare. :"Really?" :"That doesn't mean we can!" Lionclaw turned to his apprentice, eyes wide. :"Oh..." Moonpaw looked to her paws. She suddenly heard a ruffled "Ehm." :"Did you hear that?" Moonpaw jumped up. :"What?" Lionclaw asked, not paying too much attention. :Suddenly, a black-and-white tom was nose-to-nose with her mentor. "What do you think you're doing on ThunderClan territory?" :Lionclaw stood his ground, and didn't miss a beat. "We're only doing what we're allowed to do. Train in the sandy hollow." :The tom rolled his eyes. "We've smelled SkyClan's scent all over the prey we've caught. Your bad hunters could at least try, you know?" :THAT riled Lionclaw up. His neck fur rose, and he tilted his head downward, giving the tom a menacing glare. "You're barely more than a apprentice yourself. And how much prey have you caught recently?" :The tom's ear twitched, ignoring the question. "Why are you on ThunderClan territory?" :"I told you. Now let us pass, apprentice." :The warrior's nose flared. "You will not pass today. If I see or even smell one of you SkyClan yellow-bellies again, you'll nay come back!" :Moonpaw giggled. Nay. :The tom turned to her. "Oh, this is funny to you? Really? I bet you can't fight, can you?" :Moonpaw looked the tom straight in his green eyes. "Yes, I can. And so can my sister. And all the rest of SkyClan." :Lionclaw pricked his ears forward, impressed by her new-found valiantness - which came from her secret mentor, Mintfur. :The tom growled. Lionclaw looked at Moonpaw through the side of his eyes. "Run. Run, Moonpaw, run back to SkyClan. Quickly!" :Moonpaw's tail-tip twitched. What should she do, stand her ground or obey her mentor? What would Mintfur say? :Stay. :But....Moonpaw couldn't. She had to run. She had to obey Lionclaw, her uncle, her mentor. :She dashed off at high speed, the tom right behind her. She was thinking of a way to lose him...ah ha! That little tunnel of thorns Icepaw had went through when she'd ran away. She verted to her left, hearing the ThunderClan warrior let out a "Ugh!". She rushed over, leaping over a small mud hole. She was back in SkyClan territory now. She could tell. Good. :She could see the little tunnel now...just a little closer.....closer, still....almost there... :Moonpaw cried out in pain when she felt a claw sink into her tail, bringing her to a halt. She twisted her neck around to see the tom, looming over her. He looked bigger than he had a few moments ago. :"Can you fight? Can you?" He spat in her face. She whimpered, but growled at the same time. :"Y-yes!" She exclaimed. :"Can you?" :"Yes!" :"No, no, you can't!" The tom laughed. "You cannot fight. You cannot run. You shall die!" He pinned her down, sinking his teeth in her neck. :Moonpaw cried out in pain. "No!" :Suddenly, she saw Mintfur in her mind. She just stood there, shaking her head, her limp piece of fur hanging over her eye. Moonpaw couldn't fail her...Icepaw couldn't prevail again....she couldn't die... :Enraged with a ball of fury inside of her, Moonpaw pushed as hard as she could up, onto the tom's belly. It didn't push him off, but he gave out a huff, obviously out of breath. Moonpaw dashed out from under him while she had the chance. The tom looked at her. She hissed. :"Little mouse dung!" He snapped, leaping at her. Moonpaw did a side-roll, and barely got out of the way. The tom snarled, aggrivated. :"You can't win. I'm bigger, I'm badder, and I'm --" he left out a startled yowl as a golden-furred tom jumped on him. LIONCLAW! :Now, Lionclaw was bigger than both Moonpaw and the tom, luckily, so he could hold down the tom with no problem. "Go back to ThunderClan, where you belong. Maybe that'll teach you to try and murder cats younger than you over a little border fuzz." (A/N:Fuzz? Where the heck did I get that?) :The tom wrinkled his nose. "Okay! Okay!" Lionclaw let him up. The tom dashed off. :"His name is Leaf-eyes. I remember when he was an apprentice. I'm only a little older than him, but he's done so many bad and awful things, his warrior ceremony had been delayed at least five or six times." Lionclaw shrugged. "Did he hurt you?" :"Not too badly on my neck, but on my tail...he stuck his claws right through it." :Lionclaw went over to investigate, widening his eyes. "Oh...my. Let's get you to Crystalheart." :When they got back to camp, the cats crowded around them. Lionclaw was bragging, somewhat. :"Yeah, my niece, she did wonderfully! I hadn't even taught her to fight and she escaped the beast that trapped her under her paws!" :Moonpaw looked at her mother, who was murmuring in acceptance. Icepaw dashed over. :"Are you okay, Moonpaw?" :Moonpaw's temper flared. "I'm fine. Just fine." Chapter 11: Stupid Girls It's a P!nk song! :Cloverstream grinned. It had been quite a few moons since she'd killed Creamflower. She was dreaming. There was a StarClan warrior - Creamflower - in front of her. :"You killed me." :Cloverstream laughed. "Yes. I did." She laughed again. :Creamflower sighed. "You still have a chance. Are you sorry for what you did?" :Cloverstream turned away, still grinning. "No." :"Are you saying I deserved to die?" :"Yes. Yes, Creamflower, yes." :Creamflower shook her head. "It's tragic. That was your last chance. And now, I must be justified. There will be clues and prophecies planted all over the place. The Held One will probably figure it out first, she's so smart." :Cloverstream crinkled her nose. "The Held One?" She'd never heard of that. :Creamflower let out a soft laugh. "Not even StarClan have sent the medicine cats the prophecy. Only a chosen few now. Not even The Held One knows. But her mother does. And a few others...even some who aren't supposed to know. We don't even know completely. It's out of two she-cats from SkyClan. That's all I shall reveal. And they are...half-sisters." :"Creamflower!" :The she-cat turned to see Ravenstar, the cat who held the StarClan cats together. "Why - why did you tell Cloverstream that? I said you could ask her to repent - not tell her about the prophecy!" :Creamflower bowed her head. "So sorry, Ravenstar. I don't think it'll matter." :Cloverstream chuckled. Of course it won't. :Icepaw and Moonpaw were on a hunting patrol, with Birdsong, Dustfur, Crowpaw, and Stormclaw. It was five days since the ThunderClan incident. Crowpaw had already caught a feeble little mouse - but it wasn't his fault. After all, it was almost leaf-bare, at least, that's what Hawkstar said. :"Got it!" Icepaw exclaimed. She'd just caught a plump squirrel. Awesome! :"Me, too." Moonpaw murmured. She caught a crow. :Crowpaw sniffed the air. "A crow. Of course." :Birdsong laughed. "I swear, you apprentices get funnier every generation." :Icepaw smiled. Duh. She started stalking a shrew...a little closer... :"Oh." The shrew dissappeared under a tree stump. She had been around this area enough to know that there was a hole on the other side. She dashed over there, and so did Moonpaw, for some reason. :"That's...odd." They said at the same time. Instead of the hole, there was a four-leaf clover and a big, yellow flower, side-by-side. Interesting. :"What's wrong?" Dustfur asked, the rest of the patrol following. :"Look. Those two plants side-by-side." Icepaw mewed. :"What?" Stormclaw remarked. "There's a hole there, plain as my eyes are blue." :The rest of the patrol, except Crowpaw (who, remember, is blind), muttered in agreement. :"No!" Moonpaw snapped. "There's a clover and a huge flower right in front of us. Open your eyes!" :"Open your eyes," Dustfur snapped. "It's the same as it's always been." :"No, it's not!" The two she-cats snarled. :Birdsong looked at them, worried. "I think you two need to see Crystalheart." :"No, we don't!" Moonpaw mewed. "We don't need to see the stupid medicine cat! We're absolutely sane." :Stormclaw sighed. "No, I'm sorry, but you're not. There's a hole right there. See?" He put his paw right through the flower and clover, like they weren't there! :Icepaw and Moonpaw exchanged bewildered glances. :"It's there!" Icepaw complained. :Birdsong inhaled sharply. "No, it's not. We're not playing this game anymore." :"It's not a stupid game!" Moonpaw snapped. "Duh! It's RIGHT THERE!" :Icepaw giggled. "Oh. They can't see it." :"There isn't anything to see!" Crowpaw exclaimed. :"Not for you," Moonpaw retorted, agitated. :Crowpaw turned away in a huff. :"Moonpaw, that was very rude. Are you going to apologize?" Dustfur said. :"No, I'm not! It's not my fault if you're all blind!" :Icepaw shook her head. "C'mon, Moonpaw, let's take our stuff back to camp." :Moonpaw sniffed. "Fine." :It was nighttime. Mintfur was looking into the Portal of Sight, her only pass time besides talking to Nick. :"That was smart, wasn't it?" :"Huh?" Nick's nose twitched. :"The StarClan cats! Not even we're that dumb. They won't be able to tell who's the prophecy cat: Icepaw or Moonpaw. And if they're that worried about Creamflower's murder, they could just tell them, for thier own sakes!" :Nick sighed. "Don't get involved, Mintfur." :Mintfur snarled. "Don't tell me what to do." :"They're my daughters." :Mintfur allowed herself to smile coyly. "Correction - one of them is your daughter. Icepaw. But Moonpaw isn't yours. I can do whatever I want with her." :"She might as well be my daughter!" :"But she's not." :Nick blinked. He couldn't argue with that. Epilogue: Haunted This songeh-song is by Evanescence. :"Oh. Moonpaw?" :Moonpaw looked up to see Mintfur, and some other tom she didn't recognize, but....he did look familiar. :"Hi, Mintfur. Hi..." :"It's Nick." The tom replied, licking his paw and scooping it over his nicked ear. Makes sense. :"We have to tell you something, Moonpaw." Mintfur stared intently into Moonpaw's eyes. Moonpaw fidgeted around nervously, uncomfortable under her gaze. :"W-what would that be?" :"Do you know who Cloverstream is?" :Moonpaw looked at Mintfur, then Nick, then back again. "No." :"How about Creamflower?" Nick piped up. :"Uh...no." :The two older cats exchanged glances. Mintfur spoke. "Oh, okay. Well, ask your mother about them when you wake up. Got it?" :Moonpaw thought about those names. Cloverstream...Creamflower....those two plants, they were a clover and a flower...and the flower was a creamish-yellow color.... :"Did they have anything to do with the plants me and Icepaw saw?" :Nick looked like he was going to say something, for his mouth was about a quarter of a mousetail open, but Mintfur beat him to it. "Yes, it did. Nick, I think we've found our 'Held One'." :Nick gave Mintfur a look that obviously said, 'shut up!', but she ignored it. :"What does that mean?" :"Well, it simply means that either you or Ice-" Mintfur was cut off when Nick jumped on top of her. You could hear her give off a 'huff'. :"Mintfur! You're telling her too much, too fast." :Moonpaw backed away. This was making her really scared. "I think I'm gonna go now..." :"No!" Mintfur and Nick shouted in unision. :"Uh...yeah...bye...." Moonpaw squinted her eyes shut. Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up...! :When Moonpaw opened her eyes again, she was safe back in her nest. But she was sure she saw charming blue eyes-turned fiery. :"So those two plants I saw...they were symbols of these two cats, you and Cloverstream?" :"Yes, Icepaw. I think you're the Held One we've been waiting for." :"Creamflower!" A black tom hissed. "Don't tell her!" :"Sorry, Ravenstar. I just thought she needed to...know." :"We aren't supposed to tell them! We're supposed to let them find out for themselves!" :"She did find out herself. I just helped her..." :"A lot!" :"Yeah....anyways, bye, Icepaw." :"Bye...Creamflower. And Ravenstar." Icepaw blinked, then turned away, and she was gone. :"Creamflower....don't you know we'll never know who now? Because I'm pretty sure the Dark Forest has told Moonpaw!" :"Oh, really?" :"Yes!" :"Ok....so what do we do?" :"I guess we'll just have to see which does remarkable good or remarkable evil first." :"Is that all?" :"It'll be harder than we think." :Creamflower rolled her eyes. It would be easy. :But she should know by now that when you're dealing with SkyClan...someone is always watching. Sequel: Courage Category:Fan Fictions Category:Cloverfang's Fanfics